Snoring

Snoring

The Problem

Snoring can have a devastating effect on relationships and can cause a number of problems for sufferers as a result of disturbed sleep. Recent research has shown that over 70% of people who try over-the-counter snoring cures do not get the relief they had hoped for.

The Private Clinic have been helping people with snoring and sleep problems for the past 30 years and have treated more patients than any other UK clinic. We offer the latest non-invasive laser and radio frequency procedures to tackle the most common causes of snoring, including blocked and stuffy nose and excess vibration of the soft palate and uvula. If you have tried over the counter treatments without success, this could be the solution you’ve been looking for.

Consultant ENT Surgeon, Professor Yves Kamami, is the inventor of the LAUP (Laser Assisted Uvula Palatoplasty) procedure and since then over 40,000 LAUP procedures have been performed in the UK. He is available at ourHarley Street, London clinic.

If you don’t snore, you are more than likely to know someone who does – between 19% and 40% of adults snore when they sleep, and that percentage climbs even higher, particularly for men, as we age. It’s a nuisance for bed partners, but researchers say we shouldn’t be so quick to write off snoring or other forms of disrupted breathing while asleep as mere annoyances; instead, they could have other health effects.

Laser Assisted Uvuloplatoplasty (LAUP) for Snoring

Snoring is a form of sleep apnea, in which people stop breathing for a few seconds or several minutes dozens of times in an hour. Any disruption of breathing during sleep can affect the brain. Researchers have recently found that people with sleep apnea tended to develop memory problems and other signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), memory loss and dementia earlier than people without such sleep disorders.

Snoring can have a devastating effect on relationships and can cause a number of problems for sufferers as a result of disturbed sleep. Recent research has shown that over 70% of people who try over-the-counter snoring cures do not get the relief they had hoped for. This is because there is no one ‘cure’ for snoring. Some people sleep on their back and this causes their tongue to roll back, others have problems with stuffy or blocked noses, while other people snore because they’re overweight.

Snoring is caused on two levels:

By the nose and throat

By the tongue

The two areas generally make up 100% of the snoring noise. Dr Kamami can improve the top note noise from the nose and throat with the LAUP procedure. This however cannot take away the noise caused by the tongue.

At The Private Clinic our ENT specialist Dr Kamami often treats snoring patients with partial Nasal Turbinate if the tongue is a contributing factor to snoring. Laser Assisted partial turbinectomy is a minor procedure carried using the CO2 laser to improve air entry to the nose.

Combining both treatments often removes the very loud and disruptive snoring noise (the one that keeps partners awake!) and in effect reduces the noise made by the tongue. This will also, in most cases cease the snoring noise when sitting (for example on trains and planes). The best option is to come in an see Dr Kamami, he is an expert in his field and he will be able to access the best way forward for you.

If you snore because of a deviated septum, our laser treatment won’t be suitable. However our Consultant Plastic Surgeons will be able to correct the positioning of the septum, via a minor rhinoplasty procedure, also called a Septo-Rhinoplasty, and get your breathing back on track. Dr Davood Fallahdar is a Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon specialised in Rhinoplasty procedures. The best way to find out what is causing your snoring is to come in and see us, we have been treating patients for snoring for over 30 years. Book a consultation here.

The Advantages of our LAUP Laser Snoring Treatments include:

Walk-in walk-out procedures

No general anaesthetic needed and no hospital stay

Treatment takes just 30 minutes under local anaesthetic

Minimum downtime

The Problem

Snoring can have a devastating effect on relationships and can cause a number of problems for sufferers as a result of disturbed sleep. Recent research has shown that over 70% of people who try over-the-counter snoring cures do not get the relief they had hoped for.

Effective Snoring Treatment

Here at The Private Clinic we have been helping people with snoring and sleep problems for the past 30 years. We offer the latest non-invasive laser and radio frequency procedures to tackle the most common causes of snoring, including blocked and stuffy nose and excess vibration of the soft palate and uvula. If you have tried over the counter treatments without success, this could be the solution you’ve been looking for.

A consultation with our Ears Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeon is £100. Free consultations are available with a Patient Advisor if you just wish to get more information about the procedures we offer. Prices for our snoring treatments start from £980, depending on the type of treatment.

‘I am delighted with the results. My snoring has reduced by 90% and my partner is very pleased as she can sleep now! The whole process has been very professional and thorough. Thank you and I will be recommending you!’ *

FAQs

Why do I snore?

The most common causes of snoring include: being overweight; alcohol and sleeping pills; smoking; sleeping position; allergy; nasal stuffiness; an enlarged uvula; collapsing nostrilsor your tongue dropping to the back of your throat causing an obstruction.

The first step will be to come and see us for a detailed consultation which will allow us to assess exactly what is causing your snoring. This will last about 30 minutes and will include a physical examination of your nose and/or throat. We’ll ask you about your medical history and symptoms and ask you to fill in an Epworth questionnaire which will help us determine whether or not you are suffering from sleep apnoea.

After your assessment your advisor will go through the various treatments available and explain what results you are likely to achieve.

What are the treatments for snoring?

This depends largely on the reasons of your snoring.

– Being overweight: if you have a collar size of 16½ inches or greater, you may not have the muscle tone needed to keep the airway open sufficiently at night to allow normal breathing. This is way a person with a short fat neck is at an increased risk of snoring. Men tend to get fat around their necks and waists, whereas women seem to put on weight around the thighs. However, this situation very often changes for women following the menopause and by the time women have reached their 70s they are just as likely to be snorers as men of the same age. Weight loss with accompanying fat reduction around the neck area will certainly help to alleviate snoring.

– Sleeping position: while sleeping on your back, your tongue, your chin and any excess fatty tissue under your chin may relax back and squash your airway. Sleeping on your side could prevent this.

– Alcohol: alcohol slows the brain’s responses, causing the muscles to relax even more than during a normal night’s sleep. The added relaxation of the musculature causes the oropharynx to collapse causing snoring. Furthermore alcohol may induce obstructive sleep apnoea (where breathing stops for short periods during sleep) in individuals who are otherwise just snorers. Additionally alcohol causes nasal airway irritation and congestion that increases the airway resistance when breathing.

However if you are not heavily overweight and snore at all time, regardless of your alcohol consumption, your snoring could be caused by a stuffy nose, a blocked noseor an enlarged uvula, for which we offer three different treatments. They are:

Unblocking the nose – Minimally invasive laser treatment under local anaesthetic can be used to treat the problem of a blocked nose in a matter of minutes. The treatment reduces enlarged fleshy ridges or ‘turbinates’ at the entrance of the sinuses. Please note it cannot correct a deviated septum. Please see our Rhinoplasty treatment page for more details about correcting a deviated septum. For more information click here

Laser Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) – This is a simple procedure that is performed under local anaesthetic and uses a laser to remodel the excess soft tissue that vibrates at the back of your throat. This frees your airways and increases oxygen supply, which not only prevents snoring*, but lifts the mood, increases energy levels and can even improve libido. LAUP is the most popular snoring treatment in the UK and over 40,000 procedures have been performed to date.

Bipolar Radiofrequency Thermotherapy (RFITT) – This is a short, gentle treatment that uses a radio frequency to tighten the muscle within the soft palate so that it vibrates less during sleep. The procedure involves numbing the back of the throat with a local anaesthetic and targeting it with a slim pen that emits a high frequency. The heat causes the muscle to tighten both during and after the treatment. The maximum benefit is usually evident about 6 months after treatment.

Does the procedure hurt?

All three treatments are carried out under local anaesthetic and we do our outmost to put you at ease during your treatment. However you may still feel a degree of discomfort, particularly in case of LAUP. Following the LAUP procedure you will experience a sore throat for around 7-10 days. A course of pain killers will be prescribed.

How long does the procedure take?

Approximately 15 minutes.

How soon will I see the results?

Some people experience results almost immediately but for the majority of patients results can take up to 6 months.*

Am I suitable?

Unfortunately not everybody will benefit from snoring surgery and we turn away around 40% of our patients. Whether you are suitable for treatment or not will largely depend on the causes of your snoring.

However for the right patient, a treatment to stop snoring can be a life changing experience. Have a look at what some of our patients have to say about their treatment on our ‘Testimonials’ block below.

During your consultation and medical assessment, we will be able to tell whether or not you are suitable.

What about Over the Counter remedies?

Which? the Consumers’ Association has concluded that going to a chemist and buying an expensive “cure” for snoring is usually a waste of money. Nearly 2,000 heavily snoring members of the Consumers’ Association took part in the survey and three-quarters of people found them ineffective.

People can spend hundreds of pounds trying to cure snoring, but often find that the snoring aid they bought is not at all effective. Expert have found that for most over the counter products the claims are often exaggerated, the success rate is artificially inflated and the evidence for the success very marginal.

Snoring can be caused by being overweight, drinking alcohol, having collapsed airways, a blocked nose, or by taking some types of medicine such as sleeping tablets before bed. This means products aimed at one cause may not work if the snoring is due to another reason. For example nasal sprays and nasal strips are aimed to keep congested nasal passages open. If your snoring is not linked to nasal blockage, the remedy will fail to work. If snoring is combined with feeling sleepy during the day and experiencing pauses in breathing during sleep, you may be suffering from the more serious sleep apnoea – which affects 10 to 20% of snorers – and should be ruled out before you buy any remedy.

Simply trying out a device without first pinning down the cause of the problem is doomed to failure. This is way it is very important to first try to understand why you snore, before you buy a snoring remedy.

At The Private Clinic we offer consultations to help you identify the cause of the problem. The consultation takes approximately 30 minutes during which you will be medically assessed and will receive detailed information on the procedures we offer.

What happens now?

The best way to start is a coming in for a consultation.

1. Our helpline advisors will answer any general queries you may have and will be able to make an appointment for you at one of our clinics – in London or Manchester.

2. Your initial consultation will last about 30 minutes. We will ask you about your medical history and your symptoms. We offer free consultation with a patient adviser. To see a Consultant ENT expert, the consultation will cost £100.

3. If we believe you could benefit from one of our procedures, you will be explained what treatment is most suitable to treat your condition.

4. On the day of treatment, your surgeon will explain once again the procedure and will discuss with you what results you are likely to achieve.

5. The treatment itself takes only 15 minutes.

6. We will contact you to monitor your recovery and a patient coordinator will be available over the phone should you have any question after treatment.

Many of our patients come to the clinic having suffered for a long time. In our experience far too many patients attend the clinics having put up with sleep problems for years.

We have been featured on Channel 4’sEmbarrassing Bodiesand to date we have treated more patients than any other UK clinic. If you have been suffering for years with this difficult snoring condition and over the counter remedies have made no difference to your snoring, a snoring procedure could be the solution for you.